Encounter
by Storytellerlover
Summary: Ever wonder how Yugi and Yami first met in the puzzle? Here's my most likely chliche version. One-shot, no intentional yaoi  but I don't mind if that's how you think. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, fellow nerds! If you've been reading my other story, Games, Memories, and Returning Kings, please know that I will update as soon as possible. I just had a while lacking inspiration... But I got it back! And this one-shot is the result of it! :D**

**Also, I tried to be vague on which version of Yugioh this happens in, but unfortunately for the manga lovers it seems to follow the anime more often than not. Also, when it happens to be Season Zero vs the rest of the anime, it usually leans for the rest of the anime and even the movie. Eheheh... THAT'S WHAT I WAS RAISED ON!**

**I absolutley, positively, do NOT own Yugioh. GOT IT?**

**Oh yeah, and this story has probably been done countless times before, so if there's something that makes it look like I stole it from somebody else, sorry about that. There's not a whole lot of room for originality these days. Let me know if you see any stolen stuff!**

* * *

><p>Darkness.<p>

That was the only thing he knew.

Of course, he'd been able to see the layout of the world he'd been cast into, but it was fragmented and shattered. Every time he tried to make sense of it, he was met only with confusion and despair.

He preferred the darkness. So he kept his eyes closed and remained in one spot.

He had no idea how much time passed. Here in this broken world, time had no meaning. It could have been minutes since he came here. It could have been hours. Days. Weeks. Years, even. He thought that it had been a while though, since the only thing that marked the passing of time was the loss of memory.

When he first came here, he was pretty sure that he had many memories to keep him company. They kept him sane, like a long lost friend. But then, as time apparently passed, the memories began to fade one by one.

He had to have been here for a long time.

For there was nothing to remember anymore, except the darkness.

He wondered if it was cold at all. Maybe it warm instead. But wasn't darkness usually met with cold? He couldn't remember.

Touch.

Someone had just touched his world.

He didn't like it.

Whoever had just touched him was filled with greed and a darkness that was different from what filled his void. He searched for a word to describe it, but words involved remembering, and he found he wasn't able to do that very well.

Ah, that's a good one. Evil.

He gathered up all of the emotions that had built up inside of whatever was left of him and focused them outward. Perhaps it would reach this greedy being. Maybe it would send him on his way.

Or maybe not.

Whoever had touched him only paused for a moment at the presence of the spirit's anger and loneliness, but continued with his work.

If he could sigh, the spirit would have done so. However, he wasn't sure if he remembered how. He didn't even know if he had a body to sigh with. Instead, he grasped for a faint memory that had stayed with him, even though it wasn't really that valuable in his opinion. With it, he was able to send out a curse to the thief, who immediately dropped dead. Satisfied that he wasn't going to go to someone as low as a thief, the spirit resigned himself once more to the darkness and refused to open his eyes for the remainder of his sentence.

Unbeknownst to the spirit, years were passing by. Those years gave way to decades. Decades gave way to centuries. And centuries eventually gave way to millennia. Throughout all that time, many people came to touch his void as they somehow got passed all the traps that the spirit had forgotten that he himself set up. Really, it's a sad day when genius is forgotten by the very genius who created it. And yet, of all those who came to touch him, none did he deem worthy of being his holder. That was the only significant thing that the spirit could remember. Someone would come to possess his void one day. Someone worthy, and who would put together all of the pieces of this world.

Someday, someone would find him.

But that day had not yet come to pass.

And the spirit was growing restless and impatient. When would this person come?

After many, many years, the spirit decided to open his eyes again, just to see if anything had changed. Of course, the placement of the fragments was always changing relative to where he stayed, but the difference would be whether they decided to stay put.

They did not.

Confusion, disorientation, and even anger filled the void. It was a while before the spirit realized that those emotions belonged to him. He wasn't sure why he felt those now. There had to be a reason, right? But he could find none.

He closed his eyes again, letting himself drift back into the more peaceful abyss.

More years passed, and nothing changed within the void. Of course, many more people came to touch it, disturbing the spirit's more or less hibernation. They all ended up dead. Mercy had become a thing of the past, and it wasn't a past that he could remember anyways.

Although, there had once been a child who had strayed far enough to dare to touch the void. It was a little girl, who was innocent of any crime, but extremely poor. The spirit bore no ill will to the little one, and sent warnings outward in hopes that the child would go back from whence he came. The youngling paused, and the spirit could feel her fear pulsing through the darkness. Unfortunately, the girl shook off her fear and proceeded to try to take the pendant in which the spirit was concealed. Something related to remorse filled the void as the spirit had no choice but to send out the same curse that had claimed hundreds of lives. When the child lay lifeless, the spirit could only hope that she had no family that would mourn her, and that her spirit would find peace.

I guess mercy really could find its way through darkness sometimes.

He closed his eyes again.

Another millennium passed without the spirit's awareness. The number of touches the spirit felt lessened significantly, as though less people knew about the tomb in which the spirit resided. Something close to gratefulness sparked within spirit when they stopped altogether. He never enjoyed taking lives, even those lower than scum.

But that's how it had to be.

And he kept his eyes closed.

One day, however, something different happened. The spirit could feel the presence of a good soul, a goodness that he hadn't felt in a long time. In fact, he wasn't sure if he remembered what goodness felt like, but what he felt was… nice.

Two deaths at the hands of the traps. One because he let himself be afraid. Another because he betrayed his comrade, who was left hanging off the edge of a deep trench, and continued the way out of his own greed. Of course, he soon met his own death.

But there was still the matter of the comrade. This was the man that possessed the good soul. The spirit knew, without even feeling the man's touch, that this was the one with whom he would go. There was energy that had built up inside the void from years of stillness, and the spirit used this energy to project himself out of the dark world. When he emerged, he paused to look around. The tomb was different than he had imagined, but it seemed to be effective for whatever use it provided. Although, the bodies of those he'd killed were missing.

Dismissing the thought, the spirit turned to the good man, who was slipping fast. He took a step forward, and somehow a light filled the room and his body momentarily became solid. He rushed to the man just in time, and knelt down to reach for his hand.

"I've been waiting for you," the spirit spoke gently. The man looked up at him in awe and confusion, but took the outstretched hand and let himself be pulled up. The spirit was able to look into the good man's eyes for a moment. They were filled with excitement, anxiety, but mostly curiosity and kindness. Also, they were a deep violet, an eye color that triggered something in the back of the spirit's mind. Was it a memory wanting to be remembered?

Oh, right. The spirit's eyes were also violet, although they had a tendency to also be crimson. He wondered vaguely if there was any connection concerning simple eye color.

When the good man was safe, he turned to thank the spirit for saving his life. But the spirit had already retreated back to the void, having used up all of the energy available to him. Sadly, any memories of his time spent in the fragmented pendant, besides the ones concerning the emotions of the void, vanished from the effort that was made. His very purpose faded away.

Darkness and loneliness once more became the only thing that he knew.

He closed his eyes again.

A few more years passed, and any hopes of escaping this void had vanished, pulling the spirit down into a pit of despair. He could vaguely remember the feeling of the good soul that had happened upon him, but it was unclear. Perhaps it was the darkness that was toying with what was left of his mind.

But something happened. Something that stirred the void even more than the previous good soul.

Another being touched the dark world. The spirit, still weary from the effort spent outside of the pendant, could not tell who or what the being was. Even so, he could feel something that hadn't been felt before.

Purity.

Light.

Warmth.

The spirit opened his eyes in amazement. He may not remember much, but he was certain that there wasn't a soul that came in contact with him that possessed such light. He relished the soothing warmth and solidity that the light brought. For the first time, the ever changing fragments paused, as if they wanted to see for themselves who had touched their realm. A spurt of energy raced through the spirit's being, and he let himself be drawn to the edges of the abyss like a moth to a lamp, just so he could be closer to the source of warmth. The void seemed to glow. Now, he could feel happiness ringing from the source of light. The spirit couldn't help but let the happiness fill him for a moment, and a smile played at his lips.

Soon, however, the light ebbed away until it was a dim flame, like the last ember of a once raging fire. The spirit figured that the light had put him down for the time being. As disappointed as he was not to feel the graces of the warmth anymore, he contented himself with that one ember, which assured him that the light wasn't far away.

He thought for a moment. This new being was so different from anything else he'd ever known. It was easy to conclude that this was the one to set him free from the abyss. Just the thought of knowing something other than darkness made the void a little lighter than it once was. The light would just have to piece together the fragments of the dark world.

Which meant the spirit would have to wait a little longer.

He closed his eyes again.

The spirit wasn't sure how much time passed, but every now and then he'd feel the warmth again as the light touched the void, trying to put it together. A few pieces stilled. They were now linked with each other. Eventually, two more pieces were put together. There was much less confusion and disorientation now, but it was still there to plague the mind of the spirit.

One day, the light remained glowing in the void a little longer than usual. The spirit could feel the determination to solve the puzzle almost radiating from the light.

One piece solved.

Two pieces.

Four.

Seven.

Ten.

Energy pooled within the void, anticipating the moment when the last piece was put into place. Just a few more pieces to go. Three more. Two.

One more piece.

Excitement filled the void, but the spirit couldn't tell if it was his own or if it came from the light.

Finally, the last piece was put into place.

Overwhelming light poured into the void, burning away the cold of the dark.

He opened his eyes.

And he smirked.

But something was wrong.

Fear was now surging from the light.

Anger filled the now still void, anger towards whoever had caused his light to fear. This rage fueled the spirit with energy. He seized that energy, and used it to once again emerge from the abyss. He used the power that had stored up since the light had first touched the void and banished the enemy to the shadows.

When the danger had passed, the spirit smirked and retreated to the dark world. Once he was there, he paused. For some reason, he could no longer remember the purpose of the dark void.

Come to think of it, he couldn't remember his _own_ purpose.

The spirit now only knew of his… thereness. And also the darkness that went with it.

But he was aware that he couldn't do anything to change that, so he contented himself with the light that was now present. He now knew that the light belonged to a boy. This boy seemed to know something about loneliness, but the spirit could not fathom why. How can a light be lonely?

But he dismissed this thought, and focused solely on protecting the boy that had allowed him to feel the presence of light again. He also got the chance to look at his new surroundings of the dark world. Everything was still. He was now in a solid room with a single bed off to the side. On the wall in front of him stood a door. Curiosity overwhelmed the spirit, and he ventured to open the door. Shock filled his core when he saw what was outside.

It was a labyrinth.

Hundreds of doors and staircases littered the walls, but they were sideways, upside down, and even diagonal. There were hallways leading to more doorways, and when he opened a few he realized that even the doorways led to doorways. There were a few occurrences when the spirit narrowly avoided traps that came with some of the rooms.

Closing another door, the spirit let himself walk to what he figured to be the middle of the labyrinth. He looked up, down, and side to side, viewing the strange architecture.

The spirit chuckled.

At least he had something to do now.

So when he wasn't protecting the light, the spirit was now exploring the extensive labyrinth that was his home. Thankfully, he was always able to find the room that he'd claimed for himself. He wondered if the light had his own room.

Surprisingly, the boy seemed to come across more trouble than he deserved. Constantly did the spirit have to take over the boy's body and defeat the ones trying to hurt him. The spirit quickly found out that physical strength wasn't much of an option, unless he used it for dodging, for his body was smaller compared to most of his enemies.

Instead, he used Shadow Games.

Many were killed, left in a coma, arrested, or given a state of eternal torture. Again, mercy had become a thing of the past when it came to his enemies, but it was a past that the spirit didn't bother to remember.

Besides, it was kind of fun setting that one man on fire.

Eventually, the spirit thought of himself as a part of the boy. He had no other identity to go by, and spending most of your time in an abyss can seriously cause some issues. Of course, he knew that he was somehow separate from the boy called Yugi, but he was no longer aware of just how separated he was. The fact that the light had no idea about the spirit definitely didn't help, either.

Due to the identity issue, the light's family became the spirit's family, and his friends became the spirit's friends. He felt the bond that the light shared with them so strongly that it was hard not to think it wasn't also his.

Over time, the spirit was once again able to distinguish between himself and the boy. What helped him was the occasional odd glance from Jounichi-kun or Anzu-chan when the spirit had taken over. They saw the difference. Also, the boy named Yugi was starting to become more aware that there was another presence within his mind. He began to call the presence "mou hitori no boku" or "other me".

So the spirit accepted that as his new identity. The _other_ Yugi.

And that's who he continued to be, even when that Kaiba guy tried to outwit Aibou and steal a precious card. And the same held true for when he and Aibou were forced to partake in Duelist Kingdom and the other Yugi helped Aibou defeat all sorts of odd opponents.

It wasn't until a certain event that the spirit realized he could actually be almost completely separate from his light, who he was now starting to refer to as "Aibou". A catchy pet name, if the other Yugi did say so himself.

What happened was this; a friend of Aibou's decided to play a game with him and his friends. It was the ultimate shadow game, one that sucked the souls of Aibou and his friends from their bodies and into the game itself. As the body that the other Yugi now possessed was being drained of its light, the spirit caught a flash of the trust that Aibou was placing in him. This startled the spirit, but he was grateful that the boy wasn't afraid of him. Rather, Aibou trusted him to win the game and get their souls back.

And that's exactly what he did.

When he first started playing the game, he noticed that Aibou was looking up at him from the figure in which his soul had been placed. The other Yugi smiled encouragingly at his light, showing him that he would definitely get their souls back. Aibou seemed happy about that, and he turned to his friends, who were staring at the other Yugi with what could only be confusion.

Other Yugi was certain that Aibou would explain later.

As it turns out, the friend, whose name was Ryou Bakura, also possessed an item that was similar to the pendant in which the other Yugi resided. Unfortunately, within that item was also a spirit, but this one was not as friendly as the other Yugi. He'd actually gone so far as to possess poor Ryou and force him to do horrific things, some probably being more terrible than what the other Yugi had done to his enemies.

The evil spirit was duly noted, but the once he was defeated, the only thing that the other Yugi could do was retreat to the puzzle and let the now-freed Aibou take over.

He decided to close his eyes again.

It didn't seem too long before he had to open his eyes again.

The other Yugi had been meditating in his room when the strength of the now constant light suddenly increased. Other Yugi frowned. How was it possible for such a light to be even brighter? Curious, the spirit opened his eyes and ventured outside of his room.

Ah. Aibou had figured out how to come inside the puzzle.

As surprised as he was, Other Yugi couldn't help but smile. This should be interesting.

* * *

><p>Yugi Mutou gazed at the Millennium Puzzle.<p>

The pendant only glinted in the moonlight as a response.

Yugi frowned.

A little more than eight years ago, his grandfather had given him a box of golden-bronze puzzle pieces for his birthday, and had dared him to solve it. Before he handed it to him, Grandpa had mentioned something about how in the thousands of years that the broken puzzle had existed, no one had ever been able to solve it, not even he. Yugi had taken the box, thinking about how silly his grandpa was. Yugi had been able to solve countless puzzles, even if he was only six years old, so this one shouldn't be any different. So when the party was over, he quickly took the box up to his room and dumped the pieces onto his desk. His eyes widened at how complicated each individual piece looked, and he happily accepted the challenge.

The first piece he picked up was a little larger than the rest, and it had a strange eye carved in the middle. He vaguely remembered his grandpa telling him that it was the Eye of Horus, but there was another name that he couldn't remember. What was it…? It had sounded something like "watt jet", but that was confusing, so he stuck with Horus.

As soon as his fingers came in contact with the piece, the eye began to glow, as if welcoming the touch. Yugi's eyes widened in awe and surprise. But just as soon as he was about to sit down and attempt to solve it, Grandpa called him downstairs for dinner. Yugi sighed and carefully placed each piece back in the box. The glow faded when the last piece was in place, and he gently closed the lid before running down the stairs and answering his grandfather's call.

He later discovered that his grandpa had been right. This puzzle was extremely difficult to solve. In fact, it took him a grand total of eight years to finish it. He would spend days trying to put just two pieces together. It frustrated him to no end.

But one day, his efforts paid off. Just a few months after he turned fourteen, there had been a day that wasn't so great for Yugi. After all, being bullied was never really a great thing, especially for someone who didn't like violence and refused to take action. On that day, after a stupid bully decided to be a little more harsh than usual, Yugi found that the pieces were coming together a little easier somehow. Thankfully, Jounichi had fished the last piece out of the river just when Yugi needed it, so he was finally able to solve the puzzle. He was excitement pumping through his veins as the last piece fell into place, convinced that Grandpa would be overjoyed. It took a moment for him to realize that the puzzle had begun to glow.

Yugi had guessed that he blacked out from excitement or something, because he had no recollection of what happened next. However, he did remember fear pulsing through his body for a moment, and then there was a bright flash of light as an unfamiliar rage filled his mind. Yugi always wondered what the reason for that fear and anger was, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring the memory forth.

In the months that followed, Yugi continued to have blackouts, with the same fear being replaced by the same dark rage in a flash of light. Being an intelligent young man, Yugi was able to catch a pattern after the first few blackouts. They always occurred when he or one of his friends was in trouble. Then, when things started to look a little hopeless, Yugi's memory would cease until he woke up and the danger had passed. Strangely, the ones causing the trouble had always ended up dead, arrested, or in some sort of coma.

When Yugi tried to link the occurrences together, the only thing he came up with was the puzzle he'd been wearing around his neck.

So one night, Yugi sat on his bed with his entire focus put on the puzzle. He also searched his own mind for something that was different than it had been before he'd solved the ancient puzzle. After a while of concentration, he finally sensed something. It felt foreign. It didn't seem to belong there. Was he going crazy? Or was it real? In an attempt to answer those questions, Yugi memorized what the presence felt like before he slipped the puzzle from his neck and placed it on the other side of his room. When he searched for the presence again, it was no longer there. So Yugi could only conclude that the strange presence was directly linked to the puzzle.

And that's when Kaiba decided to try and steal his grandfather's blue-eyes. Once again, Yugi was starting to blackout, but this time he was able to somehow merge his consciousness with the spirit he wasn't yet aware of, so it was as if he were the one to defeat Kaiba. Even so, Yugi knew that something was different, so he remembered how to not completely blackout and continued to merge with the spirit, especially after Pegasus took his grandfather's soul and forced him to attend Duelist Kingdom.

After a significant amount of time spent on the island, Yugi became increasingly aware of the spirit that took over his body when the need arose. At first, the very thought of being possessed unnerved him, but when he figured out that the spirit meant no harm, Yugi began to accept him. But that still left the fact that he hadn't even met the spirit. The only thing he knew about him was that he looked an awful lot like himself, since apparently nobody could really tell the difference. Although he was certain that his friends had noticed something due to the occasional odd glance in his direction when the spirit had taken over. From what he could gather, the spirit was a little taller, a little more muscular, had a deeper voice, and held himself with pride and confidence. Other than that, Yugi had no clue about the spirit.

Until that event with Bakura just a couple of days ago.

When Yugi was just a little character on the game field, he had been able to look up and see that the spirit had taken over the body that Yugi had been forced to leave. What he saw was astonishing. The little bits and pieces of information he'd gathered about the spirit were correct, but they never really told him about the determination and confidence that the spirit held. What Yugi saw that night left him in awe, and he was anxious to meet the other Yugi face to face.

Which brings us to the temporary camp that Yugi and his friends had set up for the night.

The fire was slowly dying, and the only sounds that you could hear were the snores of Jounichi and Honda and the occasional crack of the shifting wood in the pit. Yugi sighed and leaned back onto the hard tree trunk that he'd claimed. Not too far away lay Anzu, who was curled up in a fetal position, breathing softly. Yugi glanced in her direction, confirming that she was asleep. He and the other guys had all agreed that they'd let her have the comfiest spot at each camp, if there was such a spot anyway. Luckily for her, Yugi had found a nice patch of grass and moss, on which she was now sleeping.

Yugi quickly scanned the clearing to see if Ryou had returned yet, but it came to no avail. After the duel, he'd gone off by himself for a while, seeming to be ashamed of what had occurred. Yugi of course didn't blame him since it was the evil spirit's fault, but there was no stopping the white haired boy.

Yugi then glanced at his two other friends, who were still snoring pretty loudly. Jounichi was sprawled out on a patch of packed earth not too far from the fire pit. Every now and then, he'd stir and mumble something about a side order of French fries before returning to his slumber. Honda slept in a slightly more dignified fashion, as he was leaning against a tree similar to Yugi. Even so, his head lolled a little too far to the side, and Yugi was tempted to wake him so he wouldn't get a crick in his neck. But before he could do anything, Honda shifted a little, causing his neck to roll a little back to the center, before he relaxed once more against the tree.

That left Yugi as the only one awake.

To pass the time, Yugi would gaze at the puzzle, trying to think of ways he could meet with the Other Yugi. Could he summon him? No, that might wake up the others. Maybe he could try to communicate with him with some sort of telepathy. No, that was a little far-fetched. Then again, the spirit _did_ share his mind, so maybe…?

As new and seemingly ridiculous ideas continued to pop up in Yugi's head, he didn't realize that his eyes were beginning to droop or that his breathing was gradually slowing. The last thing to pass through his mind was the image of the puzzle glinting contentedly in the moonlight.

When he opened his eyes again, it took him moment to notice that he wasn't on the island anymore.

At first he thought he was somehow back in his room at the Game Shop in Domino City, but as he looked around Yugi realized that this room was a little different. There were toys that he used to play with strewn across the floor, and old posters hanging on the walls. It looked as if he'd traveled back in time. What told him that it wasn't actually his room was the fact that there weren't any windows. If there were, I assure you that he would have been severely frightened by whatever lurked in the shadows outside.

_So, if I'm not in my room, or on the island for that matter, where am I?_ he thought.

Yugi decided that the only way to find out was to venture outside of this room, so he hoisted himself up from the bed and gingerly picked his way across the floor to the door on the other side. When he opened it, Yugi found himself in a never-ending hallway. The only other thing in the hall other than himself and the door behind him was another door standing right in front of him. This door seemed to be ancient, and had the Eye of Horus carved on it. The eye could only mean that this was something that would tell Yugi about the spirit he now shared a body with. Excitement pumped his blood faster.

Wispy shadows seemed to lurk in the hallway, and Yugi really wasn't too keen on seeing what might be on the other ends of it, so he cautiously took a few steps forward until he was able to reach for the doorknob. Yugi could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but something told him to keep going.

Yugi swallowed with difficulty, for he found that his throat had gone dry, but he forced himself to turn the knob and slowly open the door.

Once it was open, Yugi was at first met with darkness, but his eyes adjusted the further inside he went. When he passed the door, it closed itself before he could react and shut with a soft _click_. Yugi glanced back nervously, but forced himself to remain calm. So, he closed his eyes, remained still, and concentrated.

Suddenly, he jerked his head up in surprise.

_The other me is here!_

Excited, Yugi looked around at his immediate surroundings in an attempt to find him. By then, though, his eye's had completely adjusted to the dim lighting, and his smile faltered in shock.

Yugi was in the middle of a labyrinth.

Due to the sheer size and depth of the maze, he was momentarily discouraged. But then he thought about meeting the other Yugi and revealing the mysteries behind him, and determination filled the small boy once more.

So, not knowing what else he could do, Yugi began to open doors at random. Most of the time he was met either an empty room or countless other doors. When he'd counted about twenty doors that he'd opened, Yugi realized that finding the spirit was going to be extremely difficult. Where could he be? On several occasions, Yugi found a room loaded with some sort of trap, and he would quickly run back through the door and immediately shut it before continuing on with a bit of a tremble in his legs.

Hours seemed to pass, and yet Yugi got the feeling that time didn't really have much of a meaning here. Still, he'd lost count of the doors he'd opened at around fifty two, and he hadn't yet found the other Yugi. Was the spirit avoiding him? Or was he waiting somewhere in a place that Yugi hadn't yet checked?

Yugi was just about to give up when he opened another door. The room didn't seem that different from any of the others, so he decided to venture inside.

Quite suddenly, the floor gave out.

With a yelp, Yugi quickly flung out his arms and grabbed the closest thing to him. He spared a glance downward as he dangled on the edge, but all he could see was black. He hadn't even heard the crash of the crumbled floor yet. Gulping loudly, Yugi looked away and shut his eyes tight, fear being the only thing that kept him still.

Then, out of nowhere, something grasped Yugi's wrist. Startled, he squeezed his eyes closed even tighter, afraid to see what was about to get him.

Wait.

It's a hand.

A rather strong hand at that.

Yugi was suddenly pulled from the edge of the hole and he stumbled onto solid ground, where he lay panting. When the blood pumping in his ears finally slowed, he heard someone else panting close by. Confused, Yugi opened his eyes and hoisted himself into a sitting position and looked around. Whoever had pulled him up had also managed to get him outside of the dangerous room. Relieved, Yugi turned to look at his savior.

It was almost like looking in a mirror.

"Other me!" Yugi gasped.

The spirit straightened himself up before meeting Yugi's gaze. Unlike when Yugi and his friends were trapped inside Bakura's game, Yugi could now take a full look at the spirit. He was just a little taller than Yugi, and his hair had the same shape and color but also seemed to have lightning bolts that Yugi lacked shooting up the spikes. The spirit held himself with pride, confidence, and a regal attitude. Strangely, he wore the same uniform that Yugi did, but perhaps this was just an adaptation to sharing the same body.

The most striking feature, other than the hair, was his eyes. Of course, Yugi had seen them before when he was a character on a game field, but he'd been a little too busy to notice how deep the spirit's eyes were. They possessed an ancientness and such a focus that Yugi had never seen before, and at the same time they seemed to be able to pierce through one's very soul. The shape was more angular than Yugi's, but they were the same color of deep violet.

This guy could easily pass off as an older brother.

"You should be more careful here," the other Yugi spoke in a deep voice, interrupting Yugi's thoughts.

"R-right," Yugi stuttered. "Thank you." The spirit nodded in acknowledgement.

"Where are we anyway?" Yugi asked.

"We are within what you call the Millennium Puzzle," Other Yugi responded.

"Oh."

An uncomfortable silence followed. Yugi had all these questions that he'd wanted to ask, but they seemed to vanish on the tip of his tongue. _Think, think, think…_

"So… you're a spirit?" Yugi asked lightly. Wow, what a stupid question.

"I don't know," the spirit replied calmly after a short pause.

"What's your name?"

"I don't know."

"How old are you?"

"I don't know."

_There's a pattern here…_

Yugi thought for a moment before asking his next question.

"What _do_ you know?"

Other Yugi looked away for a moment, as if deep in thought. After a moment of silence, he finally answered truthfully.

"I know that when you put together this puzzle, I was awakened. I know that I do not remember anything beyond that except darkness that reaches far back through time. I know that since then, my only purpose has been to protect you, Anzu-chan, Jounichi-kun, and Honda-kun. I know that you are the light that set me free from the darkness that bound me for so long. I also know that you are my Aibou."

When he looked back, his eyes said clearly that he had not uttered a single lie.

"That is what I know," he said.

Yugi nodded, unsure of what to say. He was the spirit's partner? That was surprising. Yugi hadn't exactly been very helpful when it came to all of the duels so far. He thought back to what his grandfather told him about the Puzzle. It was a several thousand year old artifact found in Egypt, so maybe this spirit was connected to the Ancient Egyptians.

When he relayed his thoughts concerning Egypt to the other Yugi, the spirit was silent for a moment. But then he nodded, seeming to accept the possibility.

After yet another moment of silence, the spirit spoke again.

"Are you not afraid?"

Surprised and confused, Yugi shook his head and replied, "Why would I be? You're _mou hitori no boku_."

The spirit raised his eyebrows in surprise for a moment, as if he didn't expect an answer like that. But then he relaxed, smirked, and nodded.

"Right," was all he said.

Yugi smiled at him, happy for some reason. But then that smile faltered when he realized that the spirit still lacked something.

"You need a name," he blurted out. The spirit blinked and tilted his slightly in a questioning manner.

"You know, other than 'the other Yugi'" Yugi said, feeling a little awkward.

Understanding dawned in the spirit's eyes, and he nodded before replying.

"A name would be nice," he said simply.

Yugi grinned and began to wrack his brain for a name fit for this spirit. At first, he went through a list of generic names, but none of them were any good. Then he began to think of more specialized names, but that was also to no avail. Finally, he thought about the spirit himself. What set him apart from Yugi? What was his most common attribute? Noble? Ancient? No, those weren't right. Yugi thought of when he first entered the labyrinth, and he was met by darkness. He'd been walking along dark hallways and going through dark rooms. What was it that the spirit could only remember?

Darkness.

Dark.

It clicked in Yugi's head. That was the perfect name!

"Yami," Yugi finally said. The spirit looked up, a seeming to be a little confused, but the name seemed to strike a chord, too.

"That can be your name," Yugi continued. "Yami. How about it?"

The spirit thought for a moment before nodding his head in approval.

"Yami," he said, trying it out for himself. "It fits."

Relieved, Yugi grinned. "So, do you stay in one room here?" he asked.

Yami nodded.

"Where is it?"

Yami looked around for a moment before he frowned. "I'm not sure," he said. Yugi sweat-dropped.

"Although," Yami continued. "It seems that no matter where I am, if I just keep walking for a moment I can always find it."

"Well that's a relief," Yugi murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

Yami smiled and nodded. Yugi decided that he liked that smile. It was a moment before he realized that Yami was beckoning for him to follow, and he scurried to catch up.

"Keep close," Yami told him.

"Sure," Yugi replied. A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Can I ask you something?"

Yami turned his head to meet Yugi's gaze, as if prompting him to continue.

"After I solved the puzzle, I kept blacking out. At first, I thought I was just having sleep issues or something, but then I noticed that it always happened when someone was in danger. Was that you?"

Yami stopped walking, and Yugi had to dodge awkwardly so as not to bump into him. When Yugi was sure he was balanced, he looked back at the spirit, who seemed to be struggling with an answer.

Finally, he replied, "Yes. You seem to have a talent for attracting trouble."

Yugi stared for a moment, and then his face broke out into a smile as he laughed. "So you noticed. And it was natural for you to protect me, wasn't it? After all, I guess that makes me your vessel."

Yami looked confused, but he smiled anyway. "That is my purpose," he said simply.

Yugi smiled back. "Well, thank you for making sure that my friends and I are still ok," he said.

Yami nodded. "You're welcome."

It wasn't long before the two came upon a door that was different than the rest. In the middle of the top half, the Eye of Horus was carved in. Yugi wasn't really surprised by that. There had to be _some_ way for Yami to distinguish his room from the rest.

Yami opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Yugi to enter. When Yugi went inside, he looked around. On the right wall was a simple bed covered in white with white sheets and a bed-side table standing next to it. On top of the table sat a single lit candle. Other than that, the room was empty.

"So, when you're not making sure I live to see the next day, do you spend your time in here?" Yugi asked jokingly.

Yami nodded. "Sometimes. Otherwise, I explore the labyrinth."

"That makes sense. How far have you gotten?"

"The rooms change every now and then, so I'm never sure how much I've covered."

"Ah."

There were a few moments of silence. Yugi gazed at his surroundings, taking note of the lack of things the spirit had to pass the time with. Did he ever get bored?

"Rarely," Yami suddenly said.

"Eh?"

Yami looked over at Yugi with a confused look on his face. "You asked me a question. I answered it."

Yugi frowned. When did he ask a question?

"Just now," Yami replied.

Blinking, understanding suddenly dawned on Yugi. "You can hear my thoughts!" he exclaimed.

Confusion was written all over Yami's face. "I can?"

"Sure you can! I never said anything, but I was just thinking and I guess you heard my questions. Kinda weird, but cool!"

Seeing his aibou's excitement, Yami couldn't help but smile and nod. Perhaps this would be a simpler way to communicate.

Suddenly, Yugi had the nagging feeling in the back of his head that he needed to go. Frowning, he looked around in an attempt to figure a way out.

"The exit's that way," Yami said, gesturing to the door. "Just keep walking for a moment, and you should come across the door to your room."

Yugi nodded gratefully. "Thanks. I think it's time for me to get up. We've got duels we need to win."

With that, he bid Yami farewell and left to find his room. Hmm, it wasn't really just a room. Maybe… a soul room.

Heh, that sounded a little catchy.

When he crossed the endless hallway and entered his soul room, Yugi sat on the bed and closed his eyes, willing himself to wake up. Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, Yugi was back in the clearing, leaning on the tree once more. The sun had already risen, and Anzu was up and waking the others. Ryou had returned some time while Yugi was in the puzzle, and was rubbing his eyes against the bright morning sun.

Yawning widely, Yugi stood and brushed off his pants, readying himself for the tournament once more.

_Let's win some more duels, Mou hitori no boku._

Yugi was certain that he'd imagined it, but he liked to think that he'd actually felt a nod of agreement coming from the spirit of the puzzle. Smiling to himself, Yugi headed toward Anzu to help start the fire for breakfast.

* * *

><p>Back in the puzzle, Yami still stood in his room, pondering over his meeting with Aibou. Overall, the spirit was a little surprised. He'd been convinced that Aibou would be afraid of him, even if he did trust him to win. But no, Aibou hadn't even been nervous! What a strange boy.<p>

Yami smirked. Whatever fate had in store for him, it sure had a sense of humor. He was confident that the time he spent with Aibou was going to be filled with all sorts of adventures.

Then, out of nowhere, Yami heard a single thought resonate through the room.

_Let's win some more duels, Mou hitori no boku._

A smile playing at his lips, Yami nodded in full agreement. Today was going to be eventful, no doubt.

He might even get to know Aibou a little more.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed it! Reviews would be nice.<strong>

**For those of you who don't know, Aibou means "Partner", Mou hitori no boku means "The Other Me", and Yami means "Dark". Oh, and Yugi means "Game", hence Yugioh meaning "Game King".**

**Happy Writing!**


	2. Chapter 2 DELETED SCENE

**Hello! No, this isn't another chapter (what do you think a one-shot is?). This is a DELETED SCENE! Or, rather, a scene that I'd forgotten to add while I was writing it… Eheheh… It's right when Yugi realizes he's in a labyrinth, as you probably already see below this author's not. Enjoy the chapter-that's-not-a-chapter! And yes, I realize that it's a little pointless, but I felt that it had to put in there! Twas a missing piece! ENJOY!**

* * *

><p>Yugi was in the middle of a labyrinth.<p>

Due to the sheer size and depth of the maze, he was momentarily discouraged. But then he thought about meeting the other Yugi and revealing the mysteries behind him, and determination filled the small boy once more.

Still, there was the fact that about 80 percent of the doors and stairways were upside down and sideways.

Gathering up his courage, Yugi walked to the nearest wall. There was a staircase just a little ways up. He wondered if he'd be able to reach it and defy all physics.

_Well, I've played a shadow game before, and now I'm in some freaky labyrinth that wouldn't be possible for someone to build… so maybe…?_

Yugi tentatively reached with his hand and touched the wall before him. Determined (and yet feeling slightly foolish), he then proceeded to put his foot on the wall. If only his friends could see him now… Yugi then took a deep breath, and put all of his weight on that foot to bring the other one up.

The world did a little tilt.

Startled, Yugi fell forward on what had previously been a wall, but now looked more like a floor. Disorientated, he shook his head and steadied himself before standing up. It was as if the entire labyrinth had shifted when he put both feet on the wall… either that or gravity was a little different here… At the moment, as Yugi looked at the newfound walls around him, he found himself unable to wrap his mind around what had just wall behind him had previously been the floor, but now…

Ah, this was more confusing than when Yugi was trying to solve the puzzle.

Yugi sighed before he once again felt the familiar presence of the spirit, and determination once again filled his gut.

So, not knowing what else he could do, Yugi began to open doors at random. Most of the time he was met either an empty room or countless other doors. When he'd counted about twenty doors that he'd opened, Yugi realized that finding the spirit was going to be extremely difficult.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed the deleted scene! Reviews would be nice… come on, the button's right there… you can do it… <strong>

**Happy Writing!**


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